1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a medium support unit and a printing apparatus.
2. Related Art
Various existing printing apparatuses have been used. Among the printing apparatuses, a printing apparatus having the configuration in which a medium is supported on a support surface of a support portion of a medium support unit and printing is performed while the medium support unit is moved relative to a printing portion has been used.
For example, JP-A-2005-161583 discloses an ink jet image formation apparatus (printing apparatus) having the configuration in which a medium is supported on an operation surface of a placement base of a medium support unit and printing is performed while the medium support unit is moved relative to an ink jet head as a printing portion. The ink jet image formation apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2005-161583 includes a heat gun that heats and dries ink discharged onto the medium supported on the operation surface and JP-A-2005-161583 describes that the placement base itself may be a hot plate as a heating unit.
The printing apparatus including the heating unit is configured like the printing apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2005-161583, thereby heating and drying ink and so on. With this, preferable operation efficiency is provided. However, in the printing apparatus having the configuration in which the medium is supported on the medium support unit and printing is performed while the medium support unit is moved relative to the printing portion, the overall medium support unit is increased in temperature and operation efficiency of an operation involving contact with the medium support unit is lowered in some cases depending on the configuration of the heating unit.